Hyuga Shigeo tilted his head up slightly, eyes closed, facing the two men in front of him. They were startled, quickly folding up their newspapers before turning and leaving in a hurry.
On the side, one of his fellow Konoha teammates spoke up:
"Hyuga Shigeo, they were only speaking the truth. Among all nineteen groups, yours is the weakest—two girls and you… tomorrow, you won't even know how badly you'll lose."
"You don't understand. Those two girls are very strong!"
Shigeo refused to accept their assessment. If they knew the truth—that his teammates were Jinchūriki—they wouldn't dare say such things.
"Hahaha, don't tell me you plan to rely on girls to protect you? Hyuga Shigeo, could you be any more shameless?" another teammate chimed in mockingly.
"Tch, dog eyes looking down on people!"
"What did you say?" The two boys, both nine-year-old genin, stepped forward, reaching to grab his collar.
Before they could, Nara Shikaku moved in front of them, blocking the way.
"Stop it. We're from the same village. How can you fight among yourselves? Let him go."
"He insulted us!" the pair protested angrily.
"I wasn't wrong," Shigeo shot back coldly from behind Shikaku. "You're dog-eyed fools who look down on people. If you have the ability, win first place in this competition. If not, then shut your mouths."
"Bastard! You only got here because you walked through the back door. What right do you have to speak against us?" They were livid, and even the others nearby looked resentful.
"Whether I have ability isn't for you to decide…" Shigeo answered, his voice sharp.
"If you've got what it takes, then win first place in this tournament! If you can't, you're nothing but a coward, hiding behind teachers. If you've got guts, duel us one-on-one!"
"Why would I be afraid of you?" Shigeo stepped forward, ready to fight.
At that moment, Kakashi dropped down in front of him.
"Hyuga Shigeo, Captain Nara is right. This is the Land of Waterfalls, with so many people watching. Don't fight among yourselves—it'll only make us a laughingstock."
Might Guy bounded over as well, voice booming:
"Exactly! Save your strength for the competition! But youth means correcting mistakes with action, and proving yourself with passion! If you're not convinced, then fight it out! That's the true spirit of youth!"
His words only added fuel to the fire. Shikaku hurried to rein him in.
"Guy, enough. Don't make things worse."
"Fine," Shigeo said through clenched teeth. "On the battlefield tomorrow, if I win first place, what will you do?"
"We'll kneel down and apologize!" the leading boy shouted back.
"Not me," Uchiha Itachi cut in coolly. He looked at the idiots making bets without understanding who they were dealing with. He had no intention of kneeling.
"If he's out, we're still in," another boy said firmly. "Hyuga Shigeo, it's not that we look down on you. You simply don't have the strength. If you win even one round of first place, all of us will kneel and apologize, admitting we were dog-eyed fools. But if any one of us takes first place, then you'll kneel to all of us, admit you should never have disrupted school rules by walking through the back door, and confess you're nothing but a worthless coward. Otherwise, you've got no guts!"
The others echoed him loudly, leaving only Itachi watching with a detached, almost mocking expression. Shaking his head, he turned and walked back toward the inn.
"Deal!" Shigeo declared. "I'll be waiting for every one of you to kneel before me!"
"And we'll be waiting for you to kneel before us!" the seven shouted back, full of anger.
Thus ended a brief but heated storm.
The next day, the grand arena was already filled with spectators who had purchased tickets. When the fifty-one competitors entered alongside their mentors, the stands erupted in applause. Many in the audience held newspapers, cross-checking the faces below with the printed details.
Outside, the organizers had even set up betting stalls. Wagering was simple: choose which team would win. If you guessed right, your return was twenty-fold. If you guessed wrong, the money went to the hosts.
So that's how Taki and Iwa could afford to cover all expenses, Shigeo thought to himself. There was profit in this.
The announcer, dressed in fine clothes, stood on the main dais. After a lengthy introduction, he declared the competition open.
The northern gates of the arena swung wide, revealing a passageway leading through the streets of the city toward the northern mountain valley—the first battleground. The run itself was part of the spectacle, letting the audience enjoy the sight of the competitors dashing through the city.
Large screens were mounted around the arena to broadcast the fights live, courtesy of hired cameramen.
"Ready… start!"
At the sound of the whistle, all fifty-one competitors surged forward.
Shigeo had just prepared to move when Fu and Nii Yugito each grabbed one of his fingers, dragging him along.
"Don't worry," Fu said brightly as they sprinted. "Even if you can't see, we won't leave you behind!"
Yugito said nothing, but the firm grip on his finger left him flustered.
They must have planned this together. But he remembered telling them yesterday that even though his eyes couldn't see, he could still sense everything around him. Did they not believe him?
Through the city, over the open plains, and into the northern valley, the groups split up. Some abandoned teammates for glory, while others stuck close.
Only three teams—including Shigeo's—remained firmly linked, hand-in-hand.
"All right," Yugito said when they reached a clearing. "We split. Fu, you and Hyuga Shigeo search the east. I'll head west. Whoever finds a chest, blow the whistle to signal the others."
"Okay!" Fu agreed readily, showing no hesitation. She grabbed Shigeo's hand again and bolted eastward.
"Slow down. No need to rush." Shigeo pulled his hand free, his voice calm.
(End of Chapter)
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